Accelerating dry-pipe valve



e. E. HIBBARD. ACCELEHATING DRY PIPEYVALVE. APPLICATION FILED DEC-16' I920,

1,420, 1 92 Patented June 20 1922.

Qwuenton an s p c ACCELERATING DRY-1PITPE VALVE.

Application filed December 16, 1920.

To all whom it may cmiccwi:

lie it known that I, (loosen E. Hiemnn, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State or" Illinois have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Accelerating Dry- Pipe Valves of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to accelerating dry pipe valves forming parts of fire extinguishing systems wherein sealed sprinkler heads are employed in connection with piping extending within the structures to be piotccted the piping being charged with air under pressure whereby a valve is held against the pressure of the city water. To this class or type o'l valves the present invention belongs, and has for its object the combining of. parts oi? special construction and arrangennmt that are believed to re salt in considerable economy as to original cost of maniiiacture, of installation and of maintenance, and by which the air valve and the main or water valve are most promptly and certainly actuated when the scaling 01'? a sprinkler head melts and the air pressure falls quickly and. materially.

In the accompanying dra ngs the parts of this invention are illustrated and their forms and disposition shown. Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional view througl all parts assembled. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, somewhat enlarged, through a portion of the diaphragm, and the movable center member. showing the restricting devices for the air-flow passing into the excess pressure chamber. r

Throughout the dmwihgs and descriplion ol the parts the same letter is used to rel'er to the same thing.

Considering the diawings the valve casing A. has within it an inner tube a, atthe top of which is seated the main or water valve B; The flexible edge ot the main valve rests upon the annular seat C that encirclesthe differential air chamber D surrounding the.

tube a at the ,top thereof. The chamber D is open to the atmosphere by way of the drain tube (Z, therefore, in the customary way, a lesser air pressure to the unit of area above the main valve B would hold the valve seated against a greater water pressure upon it in the tube a.

Communicating with the dilli'erential air chamber D is a tubular elbow E, its out Specification. of Letters Ztatent.

having a flexible edge portion 5.

Patented June 24), 1922..

Serial No. 431,163.

mouth being a seat for the ball valve 6, termed in this explanation the air valve. Valve has a pivot F, and an up *ardly projecting trigger or linger These parts will be again mentioned.

Within the casing suitably arranged is the valve operating or more exactly the valve-starting weight G, which is provided w'th a pivot 1 a recess to cover the end of elbow E when the weight falls, the recess going marked H and a smaller notch a dis posed to engage the'trigger f of the valve 6 and to kick oii' or start that valve when the weight tails. The weight G has further the projection J that engages a lug on the main valve B. and which will be re- 'l erred. to later hereinbelow.

The weight G is supported in its raised position by the en 'a'gement of the notch K in the upper edge of the weight, and the wedge end of a slotted arm 2. The arm is pivotally attached to the lever L, and the lever is carried on hanger plate M by pivot m. best shown in Fig. 2, the lever L is pivotally connected with the bolt bl, which is made with a spreading head shown, and which serves to clamp the portions of the movable center member to the main diaphragm a, that lies against the removeble head 0 of the casing A. The diaphragm thus maintained against any sudden pressure towards the head 0 or the excess pressure chamber of which the hemisphere P is the wall or housing. The pressure in the excess pressure chamber may be reduced and any water drained from it by means of the valve Q, shown in Fig. l. The belt N, as set forth in Fig. 9 has an axial passage it extending through it. ll hen the valve casing A is filled with air at the systern pressure, airenters the right-hand end '2" ot the passage through the bolt N, and by way of the transverse passage S in the bolt itpasses in front of the central check diaphragm s, then through the orifices T in diaphragm a into the chamber t. The chamber t is iornied between the portions U and V of the center member, and these portions are clamped together by the bolt N at the same time engaging the edges of the middle of the diaphragm a as illustrated. After passing through the cent all check diaphragm s the air 'flows'by way of the transverse passage 41 in the bolt into the axial passage It and into the excess pressure chamber enclosed by the hemisphere P de- Cil Dual

scribed- Air may also pass outwardly by way of the transverse passages v in the bolt into the radial passage formed in the rear portion V of the center member, and there may be a plurality of such radial passages. In that way air reaches the rear of the main diaphragm a, and the pressure is equalized on both sides of both diaphragms. The chamber 10 extends all around the center member, and is in open communication with the passage as shown. The center member, comprising the portions U and V, is in practice usually made of hard rubber.

To explain the operation of this invention, let it be assumed that the parts illustrated and explained form a part of a complete fire extinguishing system of the character stated at the beginning of this specification, and that the system air pressure exists above the main or water valve 13. The valves are closed and the weight is releasably held in its raised position as set forth in Fig. 1. In a short time the air pressure on both front and rear sides of the diaphragms will be the same and the excess pressure chamber will become charged. Now, let it be supposed that a sprinkler head sealing is melted and its valve blown off, with a material and somewhat rapid reduction of air pressure in the valve casing A. The air in the. excess pressure chamber cannot escape rapidly, and forces diaphragmn and the center member to the right, operating the lever L and arm 76, and releasing the weight G. In falling the weight first strikes the trigger of the air valve and kicks oif, in other words lifts the air valv 0, allowing system air to enter the differential air cham ber D, thereby further and promptly re ducing the amount of pressure upon the main valve B which was holding the water in the inner tube a. The main valve B may now lift, and it is accelerated by the contact of the lower angle of the weight G with the lug j. The main valve 13 is now thrown off to one side as shown by broken lines in Fig. 1, and the water fills the system and is discharged by way of the uncovered sprinkler head in the usual manner.

Having now described this invention, and explained the mode of its operation, what I claim is:-

1. In a dry pipe valve, the combination with a casing of an inner tube, a main water valve seated upon the said tube, a diifer ential air chamber surrounding the said tube at-the top, an annular seat encircling the said air chamber, the said main valve having a flexible edge portion engaging the said annular seat, pivotal devices for supporting the said main valve, an air valve closing the said air chamber and having a trigger, a valve-operating weight constructed to engage and actuate said air valve and main valve, the said casing having a removable head, a diaphragm located within the casing against said removable head, an excess pressure chamber carried externally by the said head, a movable center member attached to the diaphragm and extending through the said head and exposed in the excess pressure chamber, escapement devices engaging the said weight. and operai'ci'l by the said mo ablc member to drop the weight, and air-flow restricting means for retarding the How of air from the said excess pressure chamber.

2. In a dry pipe valve, the combination with a casing, of an inner tube, a main water valve seated upon the said tube, a differential air chamber surrounding the said tube at the top, an annular seat encircling the said air chamber, the said main valve having a flexible edge portion engaging the said annular seat, pivotal devices for sup porting the said main valve, an air valve closing the said air chamber, a valxeoperating weight constructed to engage and actuate said air valve and main valve, the said casing having a removable head, a dia phragm located within the casing against said removable head, an excess l pressure chamber carried externally by the said head, a movable center member attached to the diaphragm and extending through the said head and exposed in the excess pressure chamber, escapement devices engaging the said weight and operated by the said 1nov able member to drop the weight, and airflow restricting m ans formed in and carried by the said movable member for retarding the flow of air from the said excess pressure chamber.

3. In a dry pipe valve, the combination with a casing, of an inner tube, a main water valve seated upon the inner tube, a diii'erential air chamber surrounding the tube at the top, an annular seat encircling the said air chamber, the said main valve having a flexible edge portion engaging the said annular seat, pivotal devices for supporting the said main valve, an air valve for closing the said air chamber, a valve-operating weight and separable'devices whereby the weight engages and actuates the said main valve and air valve, an excess pressure chamber carried by said casing, a diaphragm extending across the said excess pressure chamber, means extending across the excess pressure chamber, for supporting the diaphragm against pressure exerted towards the chamber, a movable center member attached to the diaphragm and exposed in said excess pressure chamber, escapement devices engaging the said weight and operated by the said movable member to drop the Weight, and airflow rest-rioting means for retarding the flow of air from the said excess pressure chamber.

4:. In a dry pipe valve, the combination Cir with a casing, of an inner tube, a main water valve seated upon the inner tube, a differential air chamber surrounding the tube at the top, an annular seat encircling the said air chamber, the said main valve having a flexible edge portion engaging the said annular seat, pivotal devices for supporting the said main valve, an air valve for closing the said air chamber, a valve-operating weight and separable devices whereby the weight engages and actuates the said. main valve and air valve, an excess pressure chamber carried by "aid casing, a diaphragm extending across the said excess pressure chamber, means extending across the excess pressure chamber for supporting the diaphragm against pressure towards the chamber, a movable center member attached to the diaphragm and exposed in said excess pressure chamber, escapement devices engaging the said weight and operated by the said mov able member to drop the weight, and airflow restricting means formed in and carried by the said movable member for retarding the flow of air from the said excess pressure chamber.

5. In a dry pipe valve, the combination with a casing, of a main water valve seated within the casing, a differential air chamber surrounding the seat of the said valve, an air valve closing the said air chamber, a valve-operating weight constructed to engage and operate the said air valve, an excess pressure chamber, a diaphragm extending across the excess pressure chamber for supporting the diaphragm against pressure towards the chamber, a movable center member attached to the diaphragm and exposed in said excess pressure chamber, escapement devices engaging the said weight and operated by the said movable member to drop the weight, and air-flow restricting devices to retard the flow of air from the said excess pressure chamber.

6. In a dry pipe valve, the combination with a casing, of a main water valve seated within the casing, a differential air chamber surrounding the seat of the said valve, an air valve closing the said air chamber, a valve-operating weight constructed to engage and operate the said air valve, an excess pressure chamber, a diaphragm extending across the excess pressure chamber, means extending across the excess pressure chamher "for supporting the diaphragm against pressure towards the chamber, a movable center member attached to the diaphragm and exposed in said excess pressure cham ber, cscapement devices engaging the said weight and operated by the said movable member to drop the weight, and air-flow restricting devices formed in and carried by the said movable member for retarding the flow of air from the said excess pressure chamber.

7. In a dry pipe valve, the combination with a casing, of a water valve, a differential air chamber, an air valve closing said air chamber, a valve-operating weight, an excess pressure chamber, a diaphragm suitably supported across the said chamber, a movable center attached to the diaphragm, separable devices actuated by the said member "for supporting and. dropping the said weight, and air-flow restricting devices formed in. and carried by the said member for retarding the flow of air from the said excess pressure chamber.

8. In a dry pipe valve, the combination with a diaphragm, of a center member comprising two portions, a clamping bolt passing through said portions and having an axial passage, a chamber formed between the portions of the said member, a central check diaphragm located in the said chamber and provided with openings, the said bolt having transverse passages opening in front and in rear of the diaphragm whereby air may pass into said chamber through the said diaphragm but is checked in flowing out.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE E. I-IIBBARD. 

